How Intermittent Fasting Is Connected to Weight Loss

If you are like most people,
you first started researching intermittent fasting as a way to lose weight.
Intermittent fasting (IF) provides a great way to burn more fat and help
improve your weight loss efforts, without a lot of rules and guidelines. It is
very simple – you eat during feeding periods, and fast during the fasted
periods. Here are some things to know about intermittent fasting and weight
loss.

More Fat is Burned

So why are you able to lose weight with intermittent fasting? The first benefit for weight loss is that it helps you to burn more fat. Your body is a machine, working constantly to burn food and fat for energy. Your body will first burn the food you eat, which can take a few hours, before it starts burning fat. This is why if you have a calorie deficit, there comes a point where your body has burned your food, and then starts burning fat. With intermittent fasting, you are burning your food and have a longer period of time for burning fat. This is why it is exceptional for losing weight and burning more fat than a diet where you are eating every few hours.

Natural Calorie Reduction

One thing people don’t often consider is that you tend to eat less when you have less time to eat. You might think you will just want to eat everything in sight once your fasted period is over, but this is often not the case. Over time, you get used to going longer periods of time
before eating, but you also have a reduced appetite. This in turn requires you to go for the healthiest, most nutrient-dense foods before you become full from eating, which helps with what you eat, but also how much you are consuming. Your calories and carbs will likely go down naturally.

Learning to Control Urges

Many of the weight loss benefits of intermittent fasting come completely by accident. If you have trouble with self-control and eating, intermittent fasting is a great way to start. When you first start doing IF, just stick to the protocol you chose, not worrying about what you are eating during your eating periods. If you want donuts, have donuts. If you’re craving a pizza, go for it. Over time, you will learn to practice self-control by sticking to your fasted and eating states, then you can eventually use those skills to start changing what you eat, as well as how often.